Automatic cranking device.



W. H. WITHERS & G. T. HARRIS. AUTOMATIC GRANKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1911. 1,027,957. Patented May28, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY W. H. WITHBRS & 0. T. HARRIS. AUTOMATIC GRANKING DEVICE.

v APPLIUATION FILED JUNE2,1911. 1 ,027595'7. Patented May 28, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2,.

WITNESSES I 91% k 5B r N M 0A1 QM I I I ATTORNEY W. H. WITHERS & G. T. HARRIS.

AUTOMATIC GRANKING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1911.

Patented May 28, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES INVENTOR S SAES WILLIAM H. WITHERS AND CLIFFORD T. HARRIS, F ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

' AUTOMATIC CRANKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May as, 1912.

Application filed June 2, 1911. Serial No. 630,958.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. WITH- nns and CLIFFORD T. HARRIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the Y we do-hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as. will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertai'ns to make and use the same.

This invention relates to automatic crank-' ing mechanism for automobiles and has for an ob ect to provide improved mechanism for utilizing compressed air for turmng'over the engine or giving the initial start to an internal combustion engine as employed in motor construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide gearing loosely connected -withthe drive shaft of an internal combustion engine with a piston adapted to actuate a segmental gear and manually controlling means for introducing a fluid under pressure for operating such piston.

W ith'these. and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1, is a diagrammatic view .of a 1301431011111? the improved cranking mechanism. Fig. 2, is a diagrammatic View showing the connection of the cranking device' with the drive'shaft. Fig. 3 is a section of the clutch connecting the cranking device with the drive shaft. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the clutch with aOfthe gear cap removed. Fig.5 is a view in applied thereto.

in diagrammatic views 1, 2 and 7 the parts do not appear in the same relation as "in Fig. 6, in which they are shown in operative position in the machine. ilhe cranking mechanism forming the subject matter of this application, is adapted for use in connection with an internal combustion engine irrespective of the work to which it is applied and is shown in conjunc- 20 when mounted upon the shaft 19.

for the purpose of illustration.

At 10, a conventional internal combustion engine is diagrammatically shown wit-h a drive shaft 11 connected therewith, also a fly wheel 11'. Mounted adjacent the drive shaft is, a cylinder 12 having a piston 13 slidable therein and with a piston rod 15 connected by means of a link 15 with a lever 16 which ca-rries a segmental gear 17 meshing with a pinion 18-upon a shaft 19 tion with a conventional automobile simply preferably parallel with and adjacent to the drive shaft 11. The shaft 19 is provided .with a gear 20 intergearing with a gear 21 upon the shaft 11 and a clutch is provided, so that shaft lljisfree to rotate independently of shaft 19. I As shown at Figs. 2 and 6 the clutch is shown at 22 upon the shaft 11 but it may be on the shaft 19; In either instance the clutch comprises a casing 23 having detents 24. pivoted therein as at 25 and held by means of springs 26in contact with the rim 27 of the casing. Thecasing is rigidly connected with the gear 21 when the clutch is mounted upon the shaft 11 or with the gear In many instances it is found desirable to mount the clutch upon the shaft 19 for various purposes when the engine is being driven, among which may be mentioned operating an air pump for supplying air for operating the device or for inflating the tires, but such mechanism is only incidental and is not part of the present invention. At any convenient placea cylinder 28 is mounted having a slide valve 29 therein, manually controlled,as by the foot lever 30 and link 31 although such means of controlling the valve is only one of the means which may be employed. Conveniently mounted is alsoa reservoir 32 which is supplied with fluid under pressure from any convenient source and a pipe 33 connects such reservoir with the cylinder 28, branch pipes 34.- and 35 being employed to'communieate with such cylinder 28 adjacent opposite ends. Also adjacent such opposite ends the pipes 36 and 37 lead from the cylinder 28 to the opposite ends of the cylinder 12. The slide valve 29 is provided with annular grooves '38 and 89 so positioned as to permit communication for instance between the pipes 34: and the pipe 36 whereby fluid under pressure from the reservoir 32 passed through the cylinder 28 and pipe 36 to one end of the cylinder 12 to actuate the piston 13. The cylinder 28 is also provided with an exhaust port 40 which is positioned to be in communication with the pipe 37 while the pipe 34 is in communication with the cylinder 12,-the slide valve 29 acting at the same time to close communi ation with the pipe 35.

It is apparent that with the parts asso-.

ciated as shown 'at Fig. 1 fluid under pressure from the reservoir 32 will pass through the cylinder 28 into the cylinder 12 and back to piston 13 thereby actuating the segment 17 and rotating pinion 18 and the shafts 19 and 11. This will give the necessary rotation to the driving shaft to turn the engine v over and the air from the opposite ends of the cylinder 12 will be exhausted through the exhaust port 40. When the piston 13 has reached the limit of its movement the reversal of the slide valve 29,'by manipulating the foot lever 30, will serve 'to exhaust the lower ends of the cylinderand admit air to the upper end to return the parts to the position required to begin operation.

We claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a driving shaft, a gear carried thereby, a cylinderand piston, means connecting the piston with the gear for operating the latter and the driving shaft, a second cylinder," pipes connecting opposite ends thereof with'the cylinder-first men- 1 tioned, inlet pipes for introducing fluid uncler pressure at" the ends of the cylinder at the side opposite the aforesaid means for afi'ording connection with the first cylinder, an exhaust located between the means for connecting the cylinder lastzmentioned with therewith i'n the direction of movement of 7 said valve member. 1

2. In an engine starting device, a driving shaft, a gear'carried thereby, a secondshaft substantially parallel with the shaft first mentioned, a gear on the second shaft meshing with the gear first mentioned, a clutch on'o'ne of said shafts and permitting the in dependent rotation of the shafts, a cylinder substantially perpendicular to the'second shaft, and intermediate of the ends thereof a piston Within the cylinder, at plston rod, a segment connected therewith, a third gear mounted on the second shaft andarranged to mesh with the segment, a valve and valve casing, the latter having connection with the interior of the cylinder,-a pedal, a rod connected with thepedal andvalve and movable in the same direction as the valve, and

means forsupplying fluid to the valve-casing-z In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAMH. WITHERS. CLIFFORD HARRIS.

l/Vitnesses:

M. EVANS, THOMAS BISHOP. 

